Starlight
by IrishMoonPrincess91
Summary: If you had the chance to fix your mistakes, would you take it? I had that chance. Follow me as I relive the best days of my life and try to fix the wrongs I'd done.
1. Chapter 1

I stared at the looming building of Starlight General Hospital, trying to force myself to walk into its sterile halls. I gripped the handle of my duffle bag as I prolonged my entrance; I wasn't ready to face what lay inside those walls. My mother had called a week ago to inform me that my father's health had started to deteriorate, something that was inevitable in the battle with cancer. Six months ago, his doctors performed a routine cancer screening and found stage four lung cancer. Through the previous months, he seemed to be doing okay despite his condition. He took well to treatment and took good care of himself. Mom was distraught, as any wife would be in this situation, but she tried to stay strong for Dad. Then he collapsed at the grocery store, ending up in the hospital in worse shape than ever. The cancer had spread.

I flew home as quickly as I could with the circumstances. I needed to be there for my family. Taking a shaky breath, I walked into the hospital and up to the seventh floor to the oncology ward. Dad was hooked up to several monitors and appeared to be sleeping. When I grasped the cold door handle, I heard someone walk up behind me.

"Darien, you're finally here," Mom's voice was ragged and hoarse, like she had been crying.

"Yeah, I landed about an hour ago and came straight here," I replied. I dropped my bag and turned to face the frail woman behind me and almost lost my control. She looked like she hadn't slept in days if the dark shadows under her eyes were any indication. Her skin seemed to have lost its normal glow, almost as if all the happiness had been drained from her. I could easily understand that; Dad was dying. I wrapped my arms around her and held her as tight as I could without breaking her. She sobbed into my chest and held onto me for dear life.

Hearing the pain in my mother's cries brought tears to my own eyes; tears I had no control over. We stood in that quiet hallway for an infinite amount of time, releasing our built up anguish at Dad's current condition. I wanted to take my mom's pain away, I wanted to change the hands of fate and cure my father of every last ailment that plagued him.

The sounds of monitors beeping brought us out of our grief-filled world, drawing our attention to the nurses rushing towards us. I held my breath as they approached. _Please not Dad. Please not Dad,_ I chanted in my head. Time seemed to slow as the medical team continued to rush down the hall. My heart started to race and I instinctively held my mother even tighter. _Please not Dad…_

When the nurses turned into a room that was two doors away from Dad's I released the breath I had been holding.

"Oh thank God," I breathed.

Mom looked up at me through red and puffy eyes; clearly she had thought the same thing I did. Without a second thought, we stepped into Dad's room and sat in the chairs near his bed. He must have heard us come in, for he stirred in his sleep.

"Margaret, Darien, what's going on?" he mumbled, still not fully awake. At the sound of my name on his lips, he jolted awake and coughed in surprise. "Darien, my boy! It's been a while! It's great to see you kid! Come, give your old man a hug," he beamed and opened his arms wide. I bit my lip in an effort not to laugh or cry, I wasn't sure which.

"It's great to see you, Pop. How are you feeling?" I asked as I embraced my sickly father.

"I feel like a million bucks, Dare," he laughed heartily then erupted into a fit of coughs.

"Dad?" He continued to hack in an effort to get oxygen into his lungs. I quickly ran out of the room and retrieved him a cup of water. When I returned, Mom was stroking his head and trying to calm his coughing fit. He lay back down on his bed and took a ragged breath. "Here," I handed him the Styrofoam cup, "drink this."

"This damn cancer," he groaned. He took several slow sips of the water and closed his eyes. The exhaustion was evident and I felt bad for rousing such excitement in him. "Okay, so maybe I don't feel like a million bucks. How about a hundred instead?" I couldn't help but smile at his joking manner; he was the only person I knew who would find humor in being on his death bed.

I couldn't find the words to say; my heart was breaking at the sight of my dad—my hero—in such a delicate condition. I was afraid that if I spoke, my voice would betray me and all my defenses would crumble.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm some charity case? Don't pity me, son. I get it, I'm dying; but I've lived a long, full, and happy life with you and your mother," he paused as he was overcome with more coughing. "I need you to not be sad; remember that story I told you when you were just a boy? 'Death is but the next great adventure.'" He smiled knowingly and I rolled my eyes.

"You're quoting _Harry Potter_ , Dad?" I chuckled at the silliness of it, swallowing my grief.

"Hey, Albus Dumbledore was a genius," he raised his eyebrows and pointed his finger at me, just like he used to when I'd get in trouble. The world would surely be a worse-off place without this man.

"If you say so," I replied. "What have the doctors said?" I needed to hear his prognosis; I needed to know how much time I had left with my father.

"It's not good, Dare. The damn cancer is in my lungs, liver, and brain. It's just a matter of days they say."

My heart sank and I wanted the world to open up and swallow me whole.

"Days?" I repeated.

He nodded solemnly and coughed.

"Why don't we take you and your things to the house, Darien? You can clean up and unpack while your father rests. We can come back later tonight," Mom suggested.

I silently hugged my father one last time before Mom ushered me out of the room.

"I love you, Dad," I said from the doorway, but he was already asleep.

Jim and Margaret Shields met in 1987 when she was 24 and he was 26. They fell in love hard and fast and within the first three years they were married and expecting their first and only child—me. They were the epitome of the perfect couple—always holding hands and smiling at each other like they were the only things that existed. They were the envy of our small town in Georgia, turning heads wherever they went and never once caring what anyone thought. Even after years of marriage and raising a hot-headed little boy, they stayed madly in love. He was a carpenter that rose to the top of the company, becoming Vice-Chairman after 20 years. He was dedicated and worked harder than anyone I had ever met; my mother and I wanted for nothing.

Dad taught me everything I needed to know about growing up into a successful man. Besides the obvious lessons in life, he showed me through his relationship with Mom what true love was supposed to be. With the stolen kisses between him and Mom, or the serious talks we had when I was in trouble, I learned in my own way right from wrong. And it was all because of him.

He was a true believer that actions spoke louder than words and proved to me day in and day out life's real lessons. He taught me how to throw a ball and cheered for me at every football game I ever had; that man never missed a single game since I started playing in the sixth grade. He would deny it left and right, but he cried for me when I accepted my diploma at my high school graduation. He always told me I was his pride and joy and that he couldn't be prouder of the person I became. I looked up to that man; he was the greatest role model I could have ever asked for. No matter what he was always there for me, showing me with his actions what a real father should be.

The cancer came as a shock to all of us because he had never used a single tobacco product. When the doctors confirmed that he had lung cancer, he blamed it on all the years he spent on construction and demolition sites where he inhaled large amounts of asbestos. He spent weeks in the hospital in the beginning, fighting a battle he knew deep down that he would lose. The radiation and chemotherapy helped at first; we were all amazed at the seemingly 180 turn he made after just a few months. Then, a week ago he collapsed and my world came crashing down. I was faced with a limited amount of time with him and I didn't know what to do.

Mom and I were silent the entire car ride, lost in our own thoughts or memories. I stared out the window of the passing town of Starlight, Georgia—the place I was born and raised. We passed the high school, where fleeting images of me and my friends roaming the halls ran through my mind. Passing the stadium, I could almost hear the crowds cheering on the Rocketeers on a crisp autumn Friday night. That playground in the park was where I met _her_ so many years ago. My heart still ached for her; I honestly don't think it would ever stop.

When we finally pulled into our neighborhood, I held my breath as we passed her house. It looked so different than how I remembered; the siding had been changed from pale yellow to pure white. The raised gardens in the front of the house were no longer there; instead the bricks had been removed and the soil tilled over until the grass grew lusciously. At least the shutters were still the same dark blue. I wondered if she ever thought of me, like I thought of her every single day for the last seven years.

We pulled into our driveway just seconds later, drawing me away from memories that still stung.

"Welcome home, Dare," Mom smiled lightly but it didn't touch her eyes. I dropped my bag and engulfed her into another hug. She needed me. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll make us some lunch." I let her lead me into the house I knew so well. At least it hadn't changed since I left.

The living room still had that smell that comforted me every time I walked into it; like lemons and vanilla. The cream couch was still by the window facing the television, which Mom and Dad had seemed to update to a large flat screen. I chuckled to myself at that; they never seemed to care about the latest technologies. I'd have to remember to ask her about that one. I had the urge to take my shoes and socks off and walk barefoot on the soft carpet that hadn't seemed to age over the years.

"Darien?" Mom called from the kitchen. I shook myself from my memories and met her in the kitchen. "What would you like, honey? Turkey sandwich with cheddar and lettuce?" She knew me so well.

"That sounds great, Mom," I smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'll be down in a few; I need to run my bag upstairs." When I reached my old room I sighed in contentment; nothing had changed. My bed still sat against the far wall adjacent to the window; oh the many times I climbed out of that window late at night to meet _her._ I wondered how she was doing and if she still lived down the street; I shook that thought out of my head. There was no way the gods would be so gracious to me. Besides, she probably met someone new and got married and had a few kids. Why would she wait for me?

Walking back down the stairs, I noticed the same pictures on the wall. There we were, in all our glory homecoming night 2005—our freshman year. She was gorgeous with her blonde hair curled and cascading down her back, her beautiful face beaming at the camera while I gazed lovingly at her instead. That was the night I knew I had fallen head over heels for her, and it showed as clear as day in that picture. I took the frame off the hook and carried it with me to the kitchen, smiling to myself as I stared into those blue eyes forever captured in time.

"What do you have there?" Mom broke into my reverie. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the photograph and smiled at my mother.

"I didn't know you kept this," I said. I gently ran my fingers down the smooth glass, afraid that if I touched it any harder, the image would disappear.

"Why wouldn't I keep it?" she came over to where I stood in the doorway and looked at the picture. "Look at you two, you were so happy. Wow, Serena sure was a looker," she said. I could tell that she remembered that night just as clearly as I did. "She's back, you know."

My heart sped up with that simple sentence. I hadn't seen Serena in seven long years. She went away to college in South Carolina while I moved to New York to pursue a career in business management. It hurt to think that I had left the one person I loved with my entire being behind, but we had to follow the path that life laid out for us. I only hoped that one day she would forgive me and come back to me.

" _Darien, I love you but I have to go," she cried._

" _Serena, stay with me, please," I begged. I couldn't bear to see her go._

"You didn't do anything wrong, you know?" Mom said.

"I know," I whispered despondently. Knowing that I didn't do anything "wrong" didn't change the fact that I blamed myself every single day for her leaving.

"Here, eat your sandwich and then we can go for a walk around the neighborhood. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, Mom," I smiled and took the first bite of my sandwich, losing myself in a daydream of our first encounter thirteen years ago.

* * *

It was raining as I walked home alone from school, that fateful November day. Dad would surely have my butt for the grade I was bringing home; this C was not acceptable. Seventh grade was definitely no joke, and history was kicking my butt. I thought about crumpling up the report card and telling Dad that I just didn't get mine yet, but he always saw right through my lies. I was just passing the park when I heard someone crying on the swings. It was hard to tell who it was through the rain, but Mom would never let me hear the end of it if I just left whoever it was to cry alone.

I walked up to the weeping figure that I now noticed was a girl, her long blonde hair soaked and falling over her face. She must not have heard me approach her, which gave me the chance to examine her. She wore a pale pink raincoat and black rain boots that she kicked in the mud at her feet. So far I didn't recognize her.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

She jumped, startled, and looked up at me with surprised and puffy eyes.

The blonde girl sniffed and wiped her tears before she spoke. "Are you here to pick on me, too?" Her chin quivered as she awaited my answer.

"Why would I want to pick on you?" I asked. I sat on the wet swing next to her and swiveled to look at her.

"Because everyone else was making fun of me, so— _sniff_ —I thought you would, too." She spoke so quietly that I had a hard time hearing her over the rain. She looked down into the mud again as new tears sprung in her eyes.

"Who made fun of you?" I asked, feeling defensive for the poor girl before me. Dad always told me that bullying was unacceptable.

I thought she mistook the anger in my voice to be directed at her; she flinched and mumbled, "Everyone."

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said. This girl obviously needed a friend. At almost thirteen years old, I was beginning to see girls as people boys were supposed to protect, not hurt. Dad always protected Mom and cherished her.

Suddenly, the blonde looked up into my eyes, a glimmer of hope flashing in her own.

"You won't?"

"Nope. Why don't you tell me what happened?" I coaxed gently.

She sniffed again. "Some of the people in my classes were talking bad about me. They said I was a wimpy little girl and that I was— _sniff_ —I," she burst into new tears before she could relay the rest of what had happened. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed; I couldn't handle seeing someone do distraught, especially this girl I had never met. I hopped off my swing and wrapped her in my arms.

"Shh," I cooed. "It's going to be okay. What's your name?" I wanted to divert her attention away from the bad things that happened to her.

"Se-Serena," she mumbled.

"That's a really pretty name. I'm Darien," I introduced myself. She looked up at me and smiled weakly. "Wanna come over for some hot chocolate?" I offered. The poor girl looked like she could use a pick-me-up. "My mom makes the best hot chocolate in town." I grinned as I saw her eyes light up.

"Sure!" she exclaimed. I took her hand and carried her backpack all the way to my house.

* * *

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I looked up into the amused face of my mother. "Do you remember when I was in seventh grade and I brought Serena home for the first time?"

"Of course I do. I always knew she was special, even then with her hair a mess and crying her eyes out."

I chuckled and put my empty plate in the sink. Special was an understatement; she was everything. Mom seemed to have a way of perceiving people, of always seeing the good in them no matter what. She had a kind heart and an open mind that I hoped was passed down to me.

"Ready for a walk around town?" I offered her my arm and she took it regally.

"Always a gentleman," she praised.

From that first meeting in the rain, I knew that Serena would be special to me. I found out everything that had been said about her and beat up the kids who said those things. We became best friends over the course of our middle school years, and by the time summer rolled around after eighth grade I knew that I felt something for her. We were inseparable and I would do anything to keep her happy.


	2. Chapter 2

I rushed down the halls of Starlight High with a fistful of wildflowers. I was late, so terribly late, and I couldn't afford to get in trouble. Serena was already sitting in homeroom waiting for me, my plans failing miserably. I stuffed the flowers into my backpack and tried to formulate a backup plan.

"Lovely of you to join us, Mr. Shields; care to take your seat so we can proceed with the lesson?" Mrs. Bolten chastised as I shamefully walked into the classroom fifteen minutes late. I smiled at her sheepishly and claimed my seat next to my best friend.

"What was that about? You're never late," Serena leaned towards me and whispered.

"Rough morning?" I suggested, a lie she didn't buy. She arched a blonde eyebrow and rolled her eyes at my sorry answer to her question.

"You're unbelievable, Darien." I could tell from the tautness in her mouth that she was fighting hard to hide her laughter. I must have stared a little too long at her mouth because she tossed a small piece of crumpled paper at my head. "Pay attention, weirdo." I winked at her and forced myself to listen to the boring English lecture.

"Good morning, Starlight High. Today is October 4th, and these are your morning announcements. First, the boy's bathroom in the east wing will remain closed until further notice. Next week is Spirit Week, so don't forget to dress up according to the day! Monday is crazy hair day, Tuesday is mix-match day, Wednesday will be pajama day, Thursday is twin day, and Friday is Spirit Day. Upperclassmen will wear navy blue and lowerclassmen will wear red or white. The pep rally will also be held Friday followed by our first home game of the season. Homecoming is in three weeks, so don't hesitate to put those nominations for court in. Tickets go on sale next week. Have a great day, Rocketeers!"

I couldn't help but watch Serena as the senior class president recited the announcements. Her eyes ever so subtly lit up at the mention of homecoming, leaving me feeling worse than I had coming into class late. Tuesday October 4, 2005—the day that I, Darien Shields, would fail to accomplish the only well-thought out plan I had ever made.

All throughout the homeroom lesson, I found myself gazing at Serena. Sometimes she would catch me staring and make an adorably annoyed face at me or remind me to "pay attention". She told me at the end of eighth grade last spring that she wanted to get all A's in high school. We were only a few weeks into our first semester as freshmen, but so far she was holding on to her goal. I, on the other hand, couldn't care less about getting straight A's, despite my need to maintain the highest grades in order to stay on the football team.

Coach had given me an offer I couldn't refuse—I could play Varsity so long as I kept a 3.5 GPA in all my classes. He noticed "great potential" in me from try-outs and told me to keep my grades up and he would keep me on Varsity. I was ecstatic, as were Serena and my folks. I wanted to make them proud.

When the bell rang, I realized that Serena had failed to wait for me; Andrew had poked me on the side of my head to bring me back to reality.

"Hey, earth to space-case. You realize class ended a minute ago, right?" he said.

"Yeah, sure," I responded nonchalantly. "I was just waiting."

"Waiting for what?" he asked incredulously.

I really put my foot in my mouth this time. "Fine, I got distracted."

"I figured. Come on, time to go."

I grabbed my backpack and suddenly remembered the wildflowers. Crap. Opening the backpack, I was met with the destroyed flowers and a sinking feeling in my chest. Now what? My plan was ruined. I tossed the remnants of the flowers into the trash bin by the door and tried to come up with another plan.

Serena stood at her locker exchanging her books. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back and I had the urge to run my fingers through it. I quietly approached her with the intent to surprise her, but just as I was leaning down to whisper in her ear, she turned and bumped her head against mine.

"Shit! I'm so sorry, I-" she stopped when she realized who she bumped into. "Darien? Are you okay? I wasn't paying attention, I didn't see you come up behind me, I-" I placed my index finger on her lips to silence her.

"Calm down, Sere," I said, rubbing the bump on my forehead. "I was trying to sneak up on you, the fault is entirely my own." I instinctively grabbed her books and walked with her to our next class.

"Why were you sneaking up on me?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I appear to be a dumbass with a death wish," I laughed. She giggled—a sound that melted my heart. "Can I ask you something?" We stopped outside the classroom; she leaned casually against the wall, making my heart race with her effortless beauty.

"Sure," she smiled.

"Would you-" I was interrupted by the sudden appearance of three of her four best girlfriends.

"Serena!" Lita cried. The tall, brunette tennis player quickly covered the distance between them and wrapped an arm around Serena's shoulders. "What are you doing after school today?"

Serena glanced up at me apologetically and said, "I have a math test to study for and then my mom wants to take me shopping. I tore a hole in my shoe yesterday," she grimaced.

"How on earth did you manage that?" Rei, the dark-haired girl next to Lita asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Serena blushed.

"Hey, I'll see you in class," I told her. I gently touched her arm and stepped to go into the classroom.

"No, wait," she grabbed my arm and pulled me back to her side. For someone a whole head shorter than me, she had quite the grip. "Lita, Rei, Mina, I'll see you after class, okay?" she smiled brightly at each of her friends before they giggled and agreed to meet later that day and walked away. Then she turned her piercing sapphire eyes on me. With that one look, I felt the world around me disappear. There was nothing but me and Serena. I lost myself in the blue depths of her eyes, drowning in them. "Hey, you in there?" I snapped myself out of my thoughts as she waved her hand in front of my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," I mumbled.

"What's gotten into you, Dare? I'd give anything to know what was going on in that skull of yours," she smirked and tapped her index finger on my forehead.

"Go to homecoming with me," I blurted. Great, there went my amazing plan to ask her out and really make her mine. This past summer made me really grasp the fact that I had feelings for her, but I was always too afraid of rejection to act on it. That is, until today, when I decided to present her with a bouquet of wildflowers and romantically ask her to the dance. Now that plan was washed right down the drain. She looked at me with this strange expression I couldn't quite read, her eyes filling with sadness. Her impending rejection had me panicking; I had made the wrong move, my heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. I couldn't think or breathe. All I knew was that the one girl I had ever felt anything for was about to kick my ass to the curb.

"I can't," she all but whispered. She lowered her eyes to the ground and refused to look at me. Was I really that bad a person for her to react this way? She bit her lip and walked into the classroom, leaving me breathless and heartbroken in the hallway.

For the remainder of the day, I rolled through the motions. I couldn't begin to remember anything about my classes or what went on around me. All I knew was that my chest burned with denial and I was wondering where I had gone wrong. Was I not good enough for her? Did someone already ask her to the dance? Maybe she just didn't feel the same way I did?

Serena avoided me for the rest of that day, choosing instead to stick with the girls like glue. By the time lunch rolled around, I decided to sit on the bench near the pine trees instead of in the cafeteria with her and her friends. I was afraid that whoever had beaten me to the punch would be in there with her, and that would only make me feel worse.

I couldn't pay attention in my classes and by the time school ended and I had football practice, I was a walking zombie. Coach had me run laps when I messed up the play for the third time, saying something along the lines of I needed to get my head out of my ass and play like I meant it.

I wanted to go home and bury myself in my pillows and blankets. I wanted to escape this place that only served to remind me of what I couldn't have. So I left; I left and immediately headed to the tree house at the old abandoned property on the edge of town. I'd finally be alone to consider where I went wrong.

I knew that my blunt proposal wasn't the way to go about asking her, but I couldn't help it. The words had tumbled out of my mouth as if of their own accord. Now there was no taking them back and coming up with a solid plan. Now I would forever be humiliated and broken because I potentially lost her. Would she ever forgive me for breeching our friendship like that? I just wanted to be with her, and now that I looked back on it, I would be happy if she came back to me as my friend. I didn't anticipate her refusal to hurt this much, like a white hot branding iron had seared her name on my heart and left an open wound. I wished she would have told me why she denied me; maybe then I would have a tiny bit of closure instead of this mess inside my mind.

I had an inkling of what I was getting myself into when I realized I had feelings for my best friend, but I never prepared myself to be let down like this. It was foolish of me to even consider that she might feel the same way.

A tapping noise and then the sound of someone climbing brought me out of my misery, if only temporarily. I checked my watch—5:17pm—everyone I knew had gone home after school and would be with their families, so who could possibly be climbing the ladder into the tree house? No one knew about this place; it was on the property of an old abandoned house that no one went near. They claimed it was haunted, but I found sanctuary in that old place. I held my breath as the intruder climbed the ladder; when that familiar head of blonde hair appeared, I sighed in relief.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, astounded by the amount of ice in my voice. I tried to contain my heartache; she didn't deserve that from me.

"You're upset; I came to make things right," she mumbled, visibly startled by me.

"How can you make things right?"

"Darien, I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me, let me explain," she begged. She had tears pooling in her eyes, making all my previous anger and dejection disappear. I took two steps towards her and pulled her into the tree house and into my arms. She shouldn't be the one so upset; she did nothing wrong. I was the idiot who assumed she had feelings for me just as I did for her. I'm the one who asked her to the dance and made a fool of myself with my assumptions.

"I'm not mad at you," I reassured her.

"I would love to go to homecoming with you, but I can't," she gazed into my eyes with hurt in her own.

"Why not? Did someone else already ask you? Or maybe you just don't feel the same way about me as-"

All the answers I ever needed—that I ever wanted—were presented to me right in that moment when she cut me off and pressed her soft lips to mine. It was sweet and quick, I was stunned to the spot; Serena had kissed me!

"No one else asked me, Darien. I can't go with you because Daddy says I can't date. I can't go with you because I'm not allowed."

I lifted her chin and stared into her watery blue eyes, and then I let instinct take over and I kissed her. This time, showing her with that one small action all that I felt for her and trying to reassure her that I would take care of everything. Her lips quivered beneath mine and it took all I had not to smother her. She began to kiss me back with equal sentiments, as if she too were trying to tell me she wanted to be with me through this simple touch. It was sweet and more than I could have hoped it would be. Her lips were soft and warm and tasted vaguely of lemon drops. I reluctantly pulled away from her and smiled. I just gave my first kiss to my best friend, and in that kiss I sealed my heart in a box and gave it to her forever.

She blushed and kept her eyes glued to the floor, but I could see the small smile gracing her face.

The next day, when I knew Serena and her mom would be at the grocery store, I stood on her doorstep and waited for her father to answer the door. My hands were shaking and sweaty from nerves; what if my second well-thought out plan in as many days also failed? Suddenly, I had no more time to think of what-ifs—the door opened to reveal Mr. Evans clad in his tailored suit.

"Hey, Darien, Serena isn't home right now. You are more than welcome to come back later," he said.

"Actually, sir, I am here to see you," I replied nervously.

"Well come on in," he chuckled and opened the door wider to allow me entrance into his home. I had been inside this house many times, but today it seemed different. Like the air itself was frozen in anticipation. Everything about this house suddenly seemed intimidating, like the walls would close in on me and trap me there for my intended conversation.

Mr. Evans led me into the living room and gestured for me to sit on the plush couch. "What brings you here to see me, Darien?" he asked with knowing glint in his eyes. What if he said "no"?

I wiped my hands on my jeans and took a steadying breath. "Well, Mr. Evans, I came over here to ask your permission to take Serena out to the homecoming dance," I said.

He chuckled again and smiled. "I had a hunch that that was what you came over here for. I've seen the way you look at her now," he cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "I can tell you like her, but I'm not so sure I'm ready for her to be dating yet."

"Look, Mr. Evans, I promise you I will take good care of her. You're right, I do like her and I just want to make her happy. Just give me a chance," I said. He was silent for several minutes, almost as if he wanted to prolong my nervous state. He was going to say no, I just knew it.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you have my permission. But just understand this, you hurt my little girl and I'll have your head."

I hung my head in defeat before his words really had a chance to sink in. Had he just said yes? Serena's father just gave me permission to date her! I could have kissed that man, I was so happy.

I stood and grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. "Thank you, Mr. Evans!" He laughed as I rushed out of his house and down the street to my own. I had to get everything ready; it had to be perfect this time around.

* * *

"Hey, Mom, why don't we step in here?" I asked as we walked around the corner to the little convenience store.

"Sure, sweetie, you go on ahead. I'm going to make a phone call to the hospital and see how your dad is doing," she replied tiredly.

I kissed her forehead and walked into the little corner store for a bottle of water. When I got in line to pay for my drink, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Rei?" I asked, unsure if my mind was playing tricks on me.

The raven-haired woman turned around, and sure enough I was right. Rei Harrison stood before me with a toddler in her arms. She had grown into quite the beautiful woman, and motherhood seemed to suit her.

"Darien? Darien Shields? No way! How long has it been? You look great," she smiled. The child in her arms regarded me with inquisitive violet eyes, just like her mother's eyes.

"It has been a while. I can't lie, I have been better. What about you? You're a mom now!" I exclaimed, happy for my old friend.

"Yeah, this is Abigail; she's two years old and our pride and joy."

"Our?" I smirked.

"Yes, I married Jared a few years ago. You remember him, don't you?" Of course I remembered Jared. We were on the same little league baseball team for years. He ended up going to private school in the city, so it came as a shock to me to see him and Rei together at the senior prom.

"So I guess I shouldn't call you Rei Harrison anymore, huh?" I quipped.

"Nope," she grinned and showed me the diamond engagement ring and wedding bank on her left ring finger. "It's Rei Carlisle now."

"Wow, that's amazing. I'm really happy for you," I smiled genuinely and had an intense urge to ask about Serena.

As if Rei had read my mind she said, "She's back too, you know?" Her face grew solemn.

I stared at the toe of my shoe on the shiny linoleum. "You're not the first person to tell me that. Mom said she was back, too. I just—I'd wager any amount of money that says she still hates me for what I did."

"You never know unless you talk to her." Would I ever be ready to talk to her again after all these years? "Well, hey, it was great seeing you, but I need to get Abby home and down for a nap. Take care of yourself, Darien." She finished paying for her belongings and was out the door before I could respond.

* * *

"Darien! What's the rush? Will you just tell me where we are going?" Serena cried. I led her by her hands to the bottom of tree house ladder.

"Just trust me, okay?" I laughed. She clearly did not like being blindfolded and was growing impatient. I led her to the perfect spot underneath the tree house. Stepping behind her, I delicately removed her blindfold, taking extra care not to pull her hair. "Keep your eyes closed," I murmured.

"But Dare," she whimpered.

"Trust me," I whispered in her ear. I felt a slight shiver run through her at our close proximity and the way my words must have felt against her skin. Smiling to myself, I resumed my place in front of her and took her hands in mine. "Okay, Sere, open your eyes."

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing to her the beauty surrounding us. It took the entire day to accomplish this, but it was something I was proud of. She deserved this more than anyone. I carefully strung white Christmas lights around the trees and above us on the bottom of the tree house. I wanted to mimic the glow of the starry night above us. Her eyes lit up just like the stars and filled with wonder. She continued to look around, noticing all the flowers and the petals I had distributed in the area. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet rose fragrance and smiled. Through the canopy of golden leaves above us, we could easily see the half-moon illuminating the dark night. Yet all around me was light; the look in Serena's eyes could light up the deepest, darkest abyss.

"Darien," she said gripping my hands tightly. I could feel her palms begin to perspire; was she nervous? "This is amazing, Dare." I loved the sound of my name rolling off of her tongue. It was like the sweetest symphony, composed just between the two of us.

"I did this for you, Sere." I smiled at her glowing face. I pulled her down onto a blanket and decided now would be the best time to ask her out. "I have something to talk to you about, but you can't get mad at me for it. Earlier today I went and talked to your dad-"

"You did _what_?" she cried, fear and disbelief covering her face.

"I talked to your dad," I repeated. Taking her hands in mine again I continued, "I asked him for his blessing to ask you out. I like you a lot, Serena. So much that it scares me; but deep down this feels right. Please, will you go to the homecoming dance with me?"

Tears filled her eyes as I spoke, but she managed to whisper softly her answer, "Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

I could hardly believe my ears; Serena agreed to go to the dance with me and I was elated. We spent several hours on that blanket under the Christmas lights, talking about everything from what was going on with our families, to her plans for spirit week.

"Mina wants to be my twin, obviously, and they want me to do this obnoxious thing to my hair for crazy hair day. I'm not so sure I'll even be able to pull it off! It's _that_ insane. What about you? What are your plans for spirit week? Maybe you and Andrew will think of some silly things!" she laughed.

"I don't have plans for it, and I honestly wasn't going to participate," I admitted.

"Oh, but you have to!"

"Why's that?"

"Because everyone will be doing it! You don't want to be the odd one out, do you?"

"So you're saying I should succumb to peer pressure and be just like everyone else for a week?" I smirked.

"No, you should participate because we only have four years of high school and these are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives. Do you want to look back and regret it if you don't do the silly things?"

I thought about her view for a moment. She brought up a valid point, but did I really want to make a fool of myself around our classmates? One look in her hopeful eyes told me that I would agree to participate in spirit week.

"I'll do it," I feigned annoyance and laughed when she squealed. She started talking a mile a minute with her ideas for what I would do for each day and how it would tie in with the rest of her friends.

0000

Monday—Crazy Hair Day; why did I let Serena convince me this was a good idea?

She came over to my house early that morning with a shopping bag full of hair care products, claiming that it would take a while to accomplish what she had in mind for my hair. I reluctantly sat on the toilet and patiently waited for her to finish what she was doing to me.

"Your hair is so dark!" she exclaimed exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry! I can't exactly change it," I groaned as she sprayed more stuff into my black hair.

"I never said I want you to change it," she snapped.

"Someone has their sassy pants on today," I grumbled. "Remember, this was your idea."

"You shut your cake hole, Shields," she glared at me through narrowed eyes and I had to stifle my laughter.

After several more minutes of her tugging and spraying my hair, she threw her hands up into the air and shouted, "Ugh! I give up! You, my darling insufferable ingrate, will have to deal with this, because the rest is a lost cause."

I shook my head and tried with all my strength not to laugh; the last thing I wanted to do was hurt her feelings by laughing at her.

"Can I look?"

She dismissively waved her hand towards the mirror and proceeded to fix up her own crazy hairstyle. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw what she managed to accomplish. My once black hair was a flaming red color and it stood up in every direction, making me think that I'd been electrocuted. I touched my finger to the tip of one of the spikes and wondered just how she managed to get my hair this red. I smiled and stole a glance at her through the mirror.

Her face was screwed up in concentration as she put her hair into pigtails.

"No, you can't see until I'm done," she said when she caught me watching her.

"I like what you did to mine; I never thought I'd see it any color than black," I smirked. "You did great."

She smiled at my compliment and ushered me out the door. I laughed to myself once the door had locked behind me; she acted as if she lived here!

"Where's Serena?" Mom asked when I walked into the kitchen.

"She's in the bathroom doing her thing for crazy hair day," I answered, sitting down at the table.

Mom placed a full plate of pancakes on the table before she sat in the chair across from me. Just as I was about to pour the syrup on my helping of pancakes, Serena came flying into the kitchen and settled in the spot next to my mom. Her hair was styled in the most unusual way I had ever seen.

It was pulled into twin pigtails high on her head with matching buns on top. It reminded me of spaghetti and meatballs. Hmm, meatballs…Meatball Head. I laughed to myself for coming up with that one.

"Help yourself to some pancakes, dear. I need to leave for work. Darien, lock up when you leave," Mom announced. Serena didn't need to be told twice; she piled several pancakes high on her plate and dug in like a starving animal. That was one of the things I liked most about her; the fact that she wasn't afraid to stuff her face around others, quite unlike all the other girls our age who seemed to be afraid to eat.

"Thank you, Mrs. Shields; these are amazing!" Serena gushed between bites.

Mom chuckled. "You're welcome, Sere. You kids have a good day at school," Mom waved at us and left for work.

"Slow down there, Meatball Head, or you'll choke," I warned.

Serena completely froze with her fork halfway to her open mouth. She slowly raised her eyes to mine and sat up straight. Her face gradually turned red as she continued to glare at me with her piercing blue eyes.

Crap.

"What did you just call me?" she ground out through clenched teeth.

"Um—" I mumbled. What had I just done? "Meatball Head?" I shrugged innocently.

She bit her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes into slits. "Meatball Head," she repeated.

"It was just a joke, I swear!" I blurted. She picked her fork back up and finished her breakfast in silence. Man, was I treading on eggshells now.

Suddenly, her eyes shifted and she gave me an amused look. I returned her look with one of apprehension.

"You do realize there are _so_ many names I could call you with your red hair, right? Cherry Head, Flame-o, Candle Head, _Tampon_ ," her eyes twinkled maliciously. She burst into laughter, clutching her sides. "Tampon! That's a great one!" her laughter was infectious and I soon joined in.

Everyone at school seemed to have done something "crazy" with their hair. Some styles were definitely more outrageous than others, but were also really creative. One kid had styled his hair in one big forward curl, imitating the hill from The Nightmare Before Christmas; he even had a plastic Jack and Sally attached to it.

Serena's friends were just as daring as she was with their hair; Rei went for a look that screamed Coolio with several long braids coming out of her head. Lita sprayed hers with green glitter and wore it in lopsided ponytails. Mina had seven braids, each sprayed a different color of the rainbow, and Amy seemed to have dunked her head in a vat of blue Kool-Aid. Andrew even styled his hair; he looked just like a member of a 90's boy-band.

Once I had seen the outcome of everyone's crazy hair ideas, I didn't feel so bad about letting Serena do mine. Nearly everyone in the school had done something, which made me kind of excited to see how the rest of the week would pan out.

For Mix-Match Day, Serena had me wear a pair of teal golf shorts with one of her hot pink t-shirts and different colored socks. Her and her friends wore different variations of the same outfit; they each had a different colored tutu with knee high softball socks and ugly Christmas sweaters. Talk about a motley crew. Andrew had taken one of his sister's bras and wore it on the outside of a neon orange t-shirt. He even took a pair of tighty-whities and wore them on the outside of his cargo shorts. Everyone called him Captain Underpants that day.

Andrew seemed to be the only one during spirit week who tried to push the limits. He showed up to school on Pajama Day in a light purple negligee and white gym shorts. I was fairly certain he would be in trouble for that decision, but I was surprised when he was the center of attention. The rest of the week went by as every other week had gone.

Friday was our first home game of the season and I was nervous. I didn't want to let my team and my school down, but I was the only freshman on the Varsity team. Since I was a football player, I had to wear my team's jersey for Spirit Day. Serena wore a red polo with khaki pants and painted my jersey number on her face.

"What's with the number 13, Sere?" Amy asked.

"I'm supporting my favorite player, Ames," she replied, grinning and giving me a knowing glance. We hadn't told anyone about us going to homecoming together. "We should all wear the number of one of the players to support them," she added.

"Oh," Mina squealed, "I want 77!" the girls all looked at her in confusion. "That's Andrew's number."

Andrew had also made the Varsity team under the same condition that I had, except he wouldn't be starting tonight.

"I'll take 28 for Zack," Amy blushed. Zack was a junior wide receiver that Amy seemed to have the hots for. The girls made cooing noises, causing Amy's blush to deepen.

"Nicolas is number 48," Lita gushed.

"What about you, Rei?" Serena asked.

Rei seemed to take a moment to ponder Serena's question before she answered. "I don't know; who should I pick?" she asked.

"Well, there's always Chad—you know, that cute sophomore guy with the band? I saw him checking you out at lunch a few days ago," Lita said.

"He did?" Rei asked incredulously. When Lita nodded, she said, "He just seems like such a tool."

"He's really not so bad once you get to know him," I said. "He seems kind of flakey at first, but he's actually really smart and a nice guy."

"What number is he?"

"17," I answered.

Serena led the girls to the nearest bathroom so they could apply their respective numbers to their cheeks. Andrew and I walked down to the locker rooms and prepared for the pep rally.

That had to have been one of the most boring school events I had ever attended. I couldn't even sit in the stands with Serena and her friends. I had to stand on the basketball court with the rest of the football team as they announced us and the cheerleaders performed their routine.

"Hey, Dare," Andrew nudged me, "look alive. You have to at least pretend you're interested in what's going on."

"I'm just nervous," I lied.

"Dude, you can't fool me; you're half asleep over here."

"Okay, so maybe this isn't the most fun thing to have to sit through, but I really am nervous."

"You'll do fine. You did great at the away games, what makes this one so different?" he inquired.

"It's the first home game; I don't want to fuck it up," I replied.

"Pretend it's not a home game," he suggested.

"Easier said than done," I mumbled.

"You're nervous because someone you want to impress is going to be at the game, is that it?" Damn, he could read me like a book.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked.

"No, just a lucky guess. So who is she?" he smirked. Andrew and I had been close all our lives; he was like the brother I never had. It would be pointless to try and lie my way out of this or change the subject now. He would figure it out sooner or later.

"Serena," I admitted.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. I stole a glance up into the stands where I knew she was sitting. She was so beautiful it damn near took my breath away. She sat amongst her friends, talking animatedly and bouncing in her seat to the beat of the marching band. "Wow, you really like her, don't you?"

I smiled fondly. "Yeah, I do."

"Well, I can't say that I saw that one coming; but I am happy for you. She's a great girl, Darien." Andrew grasped my shoulder in a brotherly way and smiled at me.

"Thanks, Drew," I returned his smile and for the first time during the pep rally, I found myself enjoying my time and looking forward to the game.

0000

We were down by 14 points by the end of the first half. _Just two touchdowns_ , I told myself. We were playing hard, but the other team matched us in speed and skill. They played just hard enough to make the game difficult, and it was wearing on my teammates. Coach took us into the locker room during the half time show and attempted to lift our spirits.

"You guys are playing great so far, but we need to up your game. The other team has mastered their plays and is fast, but I can tell they're getting tired. We need to push them past their breaking point and take back control of the field." Coach proceeded to tell us exactly what he wanted us to do in the next quarter to bring the score back in our favor.

By the time half time was over, we ran back out onto the field with newfound confidence. I caught sight of Serena and her family sitting in the bleachers; she waved eagerly at me when we made eye contact and I winked at her. Just her support alone made me feel a hundred times better about winning this game.

Coach's new strategy seemed fool-proof, so long as we worked together. I gritted my teeth and replaced my helmet before I jogged out onto the field to join my teammates.

We played as hard as we could, but by the end of the third quarter we were still down with a score of 21-27.

"We just need one more touchdown, and we got this. Their last field goal attempt really killed them and you can see the defeat in their eyes. Just play a little bit harder and keep pushing," Coach said in our last huddle of the game. "Get your butts out there and show those other guys what the Rocketeers are made of!"

The first ten minutes of the last quarter went by so fast and smoothly that I felt like we were playing a whole different team. Our opponents were struggling to keep their motivation and started making sloppy mistakes.

I checked the scoreboard—28-27.

Just when I thought that we had this game in the bag, the other team scored a field goal, shifting us to the losing end once more.

"We need another touchdown!" I shouted to my other teammates.

"Two minutes isn't enough time, Shields!" Jeff Summers replied.

I turned to Derek Stone, the senior quarterback, and said, "We can't lose. We need a play that can win us this game."

He looked at me incredulously and replied, "Darien, I know your eager, but we might not have that chance. We'd be lucky to get halfway there before the two minutes is up."

"I'm willing to risk it, Stone. Come on, let's send you seniors off with a bang," I smirked. I knew by playing the last season of his high school career card would potentially sway him.

"Alright, Shields. You got it," he grinned. Derek gave the hand signals for the plays he wanted us to perform, and we took our positions on the line. Derek hiked the ball and we pushed our way to the endzone.

With just 30 seconds on the clock and 20 yards to go, we planned our last strategy. We had our fourth down and needed to make it to the endzone or we'd lose the game. Derek threw the ball towards Zack, but a defensive lineman moved to intercept the pass. Just when I thought that Zack was a goner and the ball would be turned over, Jeff tackled the defensive lineman and saved Zack. He caught the ball and ran down the field as hard as he could. When he was met head on by a more of our opponents, he turned and threw the ball in my direction.

 _What the hell, Zack?! That wasn't in the plan!_ I screamed in my head.

 _Fuck!_

I pushed my legs as hard as they would go, reaching my arms out to catch the ball. Time moved in slow motion. I could feel the sweat trickling into my eyes, the speed of my heart increasing. I could see the other players blur in my peripheral vision, although I wasn't quite sure who belonged to which team. The seconds ticked by as though they were sinking in molasses.

When I didn't think I could run anymore, when I felt my energy completely drain from me, I heard the beginning sounds of the buzzer. That's when I felt the ball in my arms.

I tumbled forward as time seemingly resumed its normal pace and fell into the endzone. The stadium erupted into booming cheers as my teammates flocked around me. What on earth was going on?

Derek and Jeff were the first to reach me after the buzzer sounded.

They lifted me off the ground and slapped my back and jerked me towards the benches where the rest of the team was heading. Did we somehow manage to lose? If we lost, then why were they acting so jovial? I looked up into the stands to see everyone on the home side screaming and shouting in complete happiness.

"Holy shit, did we—" I started.

"Dare! You caught it! We WON!" Andrew shouted. He tapped the top of my helmet and continued to cheer along with the rest of the team and the crowd.

We won!

The feeling I always got with a win washed over me and I had the urge to shout at the top of my lungs. I wanted to celebrate with everyone else. I saw her, right in my field of vision, leaning against the fence that separated the field from the stands. She looked positively radiant, beaming a megawatt smile and shouting my name. I ran up to the fence and skillfully hopped over it and embraced her tightly.

I had seemed to have forgotten that the entire student body was present at this game, but that didn't stop me from claiming Serena's lips with my own. I was too elated over our win to care about what anyone thought in that moment. All I wanted was to feel her soft lips on mine, to have her share in my excitement. She wrapped her arms around my waist and held me closer to her body. I felt her smile and pull away slightly, her cheeks flushed and rosy.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered into my ear.


	4. Chapter 4

Mom and I had a quiet dinner at home once we returned to the house from our walk. Dad's doctor had said that he shouldn't have any more visitors that night—that he needed to rest. So we went to the grocery store and picked up some frozen meals to make instead. She seemed to be in low spirits, but I didn't know how to help her. What is a son to do when his mother is depressed and his father is fighting a losing battle for his life? How would I ever be able to help my mom with her sorrow if I couldn't seem to come to terms with it myself? It didn't seem fair that Dad was suffering as he was; he was too good of a man to deserve this. He should have been able to live for many more years. He should have been able to live to see his grandchildren grow up. Oh, but who am I kidding? The likelihood of me having kids was slim to none as it was. My heart had belonged to the same girl for years; she just didn't know it anymore.

"Why don't you head on up to bed? I can take care of the dishes and clean up the rest of the kitchen," I offered.

"That's sweet of you to offer, Darien, but I think I'll stay down here with you. Why don't you tell me about New York? How is the business world?"

I smiled at my mother and sat down on the couch next to her. The business world was booming. The company I built was young compared to many others, but we thrived. I knew the workings of a multimillion dollar company, and I liked to think that I ran it well. We started off small, never forgetting the values that were necessary to climb to the top. I still remembered the day that my company made its first successful buyout of another, merging two companies and skyrocketing our monetary value. It seemed from then on that we would climb the business ladder; eventually we were among the top in our class and made many smaller businesses happier for their decision to work under us.

Despite our increasing popularity and fortune, we stayed humble. My partner, Matthew, and I made sure that our employees were well taken care of before anything. They were the foundation that our company was built upon, and we couldn't afford to let them down.

When I told my mom about our charity benefit for inner city children, she nearly burst into tears.

"We raised over two million dollars to help them with school and activities to keep them out of trouble. We are building a new rec center for them and making updates within the school system. They deserve the chance to excel."

She softly touched my cheek. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." The tears pooling in her eyes spilled over. "Your father would be, too."

I wiped the tears from her face. "He's not gone, Mom."

"I know, Dare, but he hasn't got long." She bit her lip to force back another wave of tears. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, silently telling her that she wasn't alone. The dam within her finally broke, her hot tears soaking my shirt. I rocked her back and forth like she used to do for me when I would be upset.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there, with my mother crying until she fell asleep. I was angry.

What had they done to deserve this?

I gently lifted Mom into my arms and carried her to her bedroom. Laying her down on her bed, I couldn't help but notice how small and frail she had really become. Dad's condition was taking its toll on her, too; it left me in a pit of despair that I wasn't sure I could climb out of. I kept thinking that it wasn't supposed to be like this. I never once had any problems with taking care of my parents someday, they saw to it when they raised me to be compassionate.

" _Darien, only a coward runs away from helping someone in need."_

I didn't think I was a coward. I tried all the time to help those in need. I had a tendency to give people the benefit of the doubt, just like Mom taught me. I looked for the silver lining in every situation. I had loved another with all my heart.

So why did I feel like I failed them? Why did I feel like despite all my efforts to be the perfect son, they still got the shit deal in life? It was silly and pointless to blame myself for Dad's illness, but I wondered if I had been there, would I have been able to see the signs before it were too late? Would I have been able to at least be there the last six months and help him live them to the fullest? I would sell my soul to the deepest pits of Hell if it meant I could give my dad another chance. I would give up my own life if it would give him his back.

I softly kissed my mother's forehead and left her room to go to mine. I threw myself down on my bed without even getting undressed.

I prayed day and night for months to a nonexistent god that he would get better. Deep down, I knew that his remission was temporary. I had that gut feeling that things would end up going downhill, but I didn't act on it. I came home when he got the initial diagnosis, but I soon went back to New York. I should have stayed and worked from Starlight, instead. I should have stayed with Mom and Dad.

What kind of twisted higher power does this sort of thing to a good human being? Without intending to, my thoughts turned to all the people who were more deserving of this outcome. There were murderers and rapists, abusers and downright awful people that could have gotten sick instead of my dad, but life doesn't work that way. There is no higher power playing us as pawns in a chess match resembling life.

There are just us and the choices we make.

I should have made the choice to stay behind.

I should have made the choice to move home sooner.

I should never have said goodbye to _her._

All these things I wished I could change, but I knew I couldn't. I would never have the chance to know what would have happened if I followed Serena to South Carolina. Maybe we could have ended up married and happy. Or maybe not.

I had to make a change; I had to start living for today and doing things to make myself happy. Sure I loved my job and I loved helping others, but I could do that anywhere. Mom would definitely benefit from my moving back home, but would that be the only good thing? Did I want to return to small town life?

I didn't have all the answers I needed, but what I did have was a chance to start over. If Serena really was back in Starlight, then I would find her and hope that she would give me a second chance.

* * *

"Okay, look at the camera!" Mrs. Evans directed us as we stood in her living room on the night of our first homecoming.

She kept trying to get our attention, and Serena was a natural in front of the camera, but she was so beautiful that I couldn't tear my eyes away from her for a second. My little barefoot, blue jean princess was dressed elegantly in a knee length navy blue dress that hugged her slight curves until it flowed from her waist. Her mom swept Serena's hair over one shoulder, exposing her bare neck and part of her strapless bodice. She positively glowed with joy, radiating it from herself into those around her. Her dad smiled the entire time Mrs. Evans attempted to get us to pose for her. She finally stopped and hugged Serena tight when she got a decent photo of us.

"You two look so great together," Mrs. Evans gushed.

"Mom," Serena whined, "you're embarrassing me!"

"Your mom is right, dear, you two do look fantastic," Mr. Evans chimed in. I felt my face heat up under his watchful, yet perceptive, eyes. and she laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. Her hazel eyes sparkled joyous

Mrs. Evans released her hold on her daughter and turned her smiling face to me. "Serena is very lucky to have a friend like you, Darien." I blushed at her compliment ly and I couldn't help but return her smile. "Okay, you two go have a good time!" she exclaimed. She began to usher Serena and me out of the house and into the car my dad was waiting in.

Unfortunately, neither Serena nor I had gotten our driver's licenses; I wouldn't even turn fifteen until January, and her birthday was in March. Dad waited patiently for us while Serena's parents had taken their photos and admired the beauty that Serena exuded. Her mother was wrong; I was the lucky one to have Serena. I opened the back passenger seat for her and slid into the car after her.

"Thanks for driving us, Dad," I said to my father in the front seat.

He chuckled and replied, "How else would you have gotten to the dance?"

"Mina and her date rented a limo with Lita and hers," Serena mentioned.

Dad broke out into an all-out laugh at her statement. "Well, this car _does_ serve as a limo when it's not being driven between work and home," he joked. "I wouldn't even charge you my normal hourly rate!"

"What's your 'normal hourly rate'?" Serena questioned, oblivious to my dad's dry humor.

"Well, Margaret cooks food for me as payment, three meals a day with snacks thrown in! And Darien here pays me in good grades and helping his mother around the house." He caught her eye in the rear-view mirror, his own eyes sparkling.

Serena turned red as realization dawned on her. "I can't believe I fell for that!" She hid her face in her hands in embarrassment while Dad tried unsuccessfully to hide his laughter.

The ride to the school was quick and filled with light banter and laughing. When Dad pulled up in the round-about at the front of the building, I got out and helped Serena out of the car. Her eyes grew wide at the line of elegantly dressed students and the decorations for the dance's theme—Red Carpet.

"You kids have fun," Dad called from the car. "I'll be here at eleven to pick you up!" He waved goodbye to us and drove off.

I turned to my beautiful date and took in the decorations. There was a white archway leading to the doors that had silk flowers and vines draped around it, giving it a sort of Greek feel. There was a red carpet rolled out under our feet and a photographer just inside the doors; he snapped a quick photo of each couple that walked in. Serena grinned from ear to ear as our photo was taken; I couldn't help but smile at her instead of the camera.

She was radiant.

We danced the night away and carried on with our group of friends, never wanting the magic to disappear. But like all good things, the night drew to a close and Serena and I were back in Dad's car. I was on cloud nine; my stomach wouldn't stop flipping whenever Serena looked at me, or when she smiled.

Despite my happiness, I was also afraid. I was afraid because of the emotions stirring within me; I wasn't sure what was going on. All I knew was that things would be changing between my best friend and me.

I walked Serena to her front porch and kissed her cheek lightly. We were both still so young; I just didn't want to rush anything. If I had my way, we would have plenty of time to explore the limits of whatever was growing here. She blushed lightly and bid me goodnight before disappearing behind her door.

Now all I had to do was officially make her my girlfriend.

* * *

As the days turned to weeks, I had yet to take that step to make Serena mine. I was a coward; I couldn't bear to face rejection. What if she just didn't feel the same way? I'd end up making a huge fool of myself. Before I knew it, the school year was drawing to a close and I was running out of time.

I had finally come up with the perfect plan to ask her to by my girlfriend, but I never got the chance to execute said plan. She didn't show up to school for several days. I grew worried and went to her house to make sure she was okay. I hoped that she hadn't somehow contracted something like the plague…or swine flu.

Running up the drive and hopping over the steps to her porch, I breathed heavily and knocked on the Evans' front door. Mrs. Evans opened it after what felt like an eternity, a confused expression on her face.

"Darien? Shouldn't you be in school?" she inquired.

"No, ma'am, we were released early because finals are next week. Is Serena home?" Might as well just cut to the chase.

"She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" I asked slowly.

"She went on a trip to Japan with her father. She won't be back until the end of next summer."

"She's gone?" I murmured stupidly.

"I wonder why she didn't tell you," she said and furrowed her brows.

Mrs. Evans wrung her hands in the kitchen towel I just noticed and pursed her lips.

"Thanks, Mrs. Evans," I said dejectedly, walking down her driveway and towards my own house. Why would Serena leave without telling me?

"Darien, what's wrong?" Mom asked when I trudged into the house.

"Serena left," I responded blankly. Saying it out loud like that twisted the knife protruding from my already bleeding heart. How could she just leave? There had to be a rational explanation.

"Where did she go?" Mom broke into my thoughts.

"Japan with her dad."

"And when will she be back?"

"Mrs. Evans said by the end of next summer, so a little more than a year."

"This is unlike you, Darien. You should be happy for her to experience such an adventure. A year in Japan! Wow!" Mom clearly didn't understand my distress. I didn't respond to her, I simply sat at the dinner table and traced the invisible lines. "Darien, stop moping. There are so many things you could do this summer and next until she comes home. You have your other friends, like Andrew, and your sports. Not to mention, your sophomore year will fly by and before you know it Serena will be back. Now perk up and set this table, your father will be home early tonight."

When Mom made demands like that, there was no arguing with her. I put my miserable thoughts to the back of my mind and proceeded to set the table.

I tried not to dwell on Serena's absence too much; whenever I did find myself noticing her absence I fell into a funk that seemingly no one could break me of. Until one day right after finals, Andrew mentioned we go to the gym to lift to blow off steam. He knew I was taking Serena leaving pretty badly, and he had done horribly on his history final so he suggested working out as an outlet for our unhealthy emotions.

"Come on, Dare, it'll be good for us. It's better than how we've been going around as it is," Andrew coaxed.

"I wasn't going to deny that, Drew," I shrugged. "Let's do it."

We spent several weeks learning how to lift properly and changing up our diets. By the time summer was over, I had a pretty defined foundation and was working on building on the muscles I already had.

Sophomore year was uneventful and passed at as slow a pace as it could. I hadn't heard from Serena in almost a year and it killed me more and more that she may have forgotten about me. I thought about her all day everyday for the last year, hoping that she would spare a few minutes to call me, or write me a letter. But none of that happened.

Andrew and I grew in our popularity around the school, especially after rising to the top of our classes—myself being in the salutatorian spot behind Amy Childers—and among the sports teams we played for. We kept our spots on the varsity team that year for football, winning more than half of our games but missing the playoffs by one loss. That winter, we opted out of organized school sports and instead participated in a winter carnival. I volunteered to host one of the game booths while Andrew somehow managed to snag the spot of the dunk tank dummy.

When spring rolled around, we both made the baseball team and played our hearts out. We were so different than we were at the end of our freshman year that even I didn't recognize us. We were practically beating the girls off with sticks; although Andrew enjoyed the attention, I preferred to ignore the advances of the girls. Sure I had gone on double dates with him—I even kissed one of the girls, but nothing felt right with them. It was almost as if I were going out with a sister. None of them compared to Serena, though. She was beautiful when I had last seen her, but I was positive that she was just as changed as I was.

In just a few short months she would be home again. Would she still like me? Would we be able to pick up where we had left off before she went away? What if she found someone new in Japan and had replaced me? Would I be able to handle just being her friend after what I had tried to accomplish last year?

I spent that summer with Andrew, riding around in either his new Ford or my old Chevy. We made the local arcade and café our go-to hangout spot, and by the time the summer was rolling to a close, half of the staff knew us by name. We went exploring around Starlight, finding things we normally wouldn't have found without our vehicles. One spot in particular was my favorite—a place I found while driving on my own one night in July. It was about a mile and a half off this old dirt path leading to a river. It winded and twisted as far as I could see, completely hidden in the trees. The day I found that spot, I stayed there for several hours, well past sundown. The sounds of nature and the gentle current of the river calmed me, making me momentarily forget how long the year was without Serena.

The middle of August was my family's annual lake party, where we gathered with our closest friends and all of our family members at the lake house and barbecued various meats and played games, swam, and just had an all-around good time in the woods. Andrew and I were teaching some of my younger cousins how to play baseball in the fading light of the summer day. Many of the kids had gotten a kick out of just running the bases and hitting the ball. Our instructions soon turned into an all out chase around the open field.

Laughter filled the air as the sun sank below the horizon, casting an array of colors across the sky; hues of red and purple painted the sky and faded into darkness. It was one of the few times I actually felt happy since Serena left, and I wouldn't let my dismal thoughts ruin my time. Dad called us all over near the picnic grounds once dinner was finally finished and made a short speech about having everyone together for another year and how family was what mattered the most. I loved when he said things like that. His eyes sparkled with pride and love and he spoke with such passion and conviction that I was awed.

Everyone hung on his every word as he spoke, but they all grew excited when he announced that the food was 'ready to be devoured by the hungry people of the Shields family.'

I got in line with Andrew and my little cousin Travis; he followed me around like a puppy the entire day, asking questions and looking up at me from where his head came up to my waist. We got our food and sat down on the dock with our feet hanging over the edge, my legs just long enough for my toes to touch the surface. I vaguely listened to Travis and Andrew playing a game of twenty questions; my thoughts had once again turned to the person I wanted to be with most. She should have been home a week ago, but I had yet to see her. Her mom mentioned something about her flight being delayed in Germany due to bad weather and that Serena and her father wouldn't be home for a few more days.

I grew restless again, just as I had when she left. This time I wouldn't be a coward. This time I would show her how I felt. This time I would make her mine. She was the world to me; she had to have been if I was so consumed by her. I saw her in everything I did—in everywhere I went. During the football season I imagined the game where I kissed her in front of hundreds of people. I ingrained her smiling face into my brain; an image that would stay with me forever. I couldn't lose her.

I simply convinced myself that she didn't have the means to communicate long distance. Maybe her father hadn't added international calling to his phone plan. She could have been so busy that she wasn't able to write a letter. There was bound to be a logical explanation as to why she didn't find a way to contact me. I refused to think that she just didn't want to.

The sky had turned into a dark span of velvet with tiny diamond stars twinkling in the southern country night. Those stars didn't even hold a candle to the sparkle in Serena's eyes. Man, was I obsessed. The guys would kill me if they heard what went on in my mind on an almost constant basis. I walked around the grounds in search of my dad when everyone grew quiet at the distant sounds of tires on gravel.

I turned to face the path that ultimately led to the road and saw a pair of headlights shining in our direction, temporarily blinding me. Someone must have just been really late; more than likely it was Aunt Kathy, who was always late. Mom joked that she would be late to her own wedding.

I ignored the arrival of my tardy relatives and continued my search for Dad. That's when I felt the atmosphere shift and the world grow a little lighter.

 _She was here_. I could feel it. How I knew it was her, I wasn't sure. If my increased heart rate and now clammy hands were any clue, it had to be her.

Holding my breath, I slowly turned around towards the direction of the driveway and I came face to face with what must have been a fallen angel. Cheesy and cliché, I know, but there was no other way to explain the beauty before me.

She was no longer the scrawny fifteen year old girl who left so long ago. She hadn't grown much in height, still at her five foot two inch frame; but she was much more voluptuous now. Her hips widened ever so slightly, giving her more of a womanly curve, her waist was cinched in and her breasts had filled out to what I guessed to be a C cup. Her hair was the same silver shade of blonde, curled to perfection and framing her more matured face. If I didn't know who I was staring at, I wouldn't have guessed her to be just sixteen.

When my eyes met hers, I could tell she was thinking the same things about the changes she saw in me. I wasn't lanky when she left, but now I was built like a freight train—or so I was told by the many girls who pursued me. Andrew and I perfected our training routines and we both built strong muscles as a result. I knew I was taller now, as well. Dad joked about how I grew five inches overnight into a six foot tall man. I still laughed to myself about that.

She started walking towards me, her legs lean and covered in faded jeans—her favorite things. She wore a dark plaid shirt unbuttoned over a white tank top, the over shirt flowing behind her slightly as she approached me.

I couldn't move, all my fears from a year ago returning full force. She stopped just a foot from me and my world ceased to spin. She was here, right in front of me and more beautiful than I had ever remembered. Her eyes once again trailed from my feet to my face, stopping once they locked with mine. All the answers I ever needed in life were right there in those pools of sapphire. I knew, right then and there, that I'd never need another woman in my life. Whether or not she wanted me in return was irrelevant. I'd have her in whatever way she was willing to give to me—as a friend…or something more.

She smiled sweetly and reached for my hand.

"Darien."

"Serena, you're back."

"Of course I'm back. I've missed you, Dare," she said.

Before we were able to begin catching up on lost time, the fireworks display began over the lake. Uncle Dave always brought a plethora of fireworks from his shop after the Fourth of July sales, setting up a show for our family party every year.

I glanced back down at Serena, the wonder and curiosity in her eyes for the fireworks made me drag her to a spot on the docks to watch the show.

We would have plenty of time later to talk. Right then, all I cared about was her sitting next to me, her hand in mine and the two of us enjoying the show of exploding chemicals in the starry sky.


	5. Chapter 5

The magic of that night under the stars couldn't last forever; I knew that eventually it would come to an end despite how much I never wanted it to. I found myself lying in my bed the following morning in this sort of haze. There was a palpable tension around me now that Serena wasn't near that told me of the things we needed to discuss—her being gone so long, her experience overseas, why she didn't contact me or even tell me she was leaving. How was I going to bring it up to her? How was I supposed to be the cool, calm, and supportive friend she needed me to be when I was wracked with jealousy and hurt? Seeing how changed she was last night had me in a jumbled mess. I had this overwhelming feeling that she didn't like me as more than a friend and it terrified me to the point of not even wanting to talk to her about it. I was slowly reverting back to being the coward I was before she left.

What the hell was I going to do?

"Knock, knock," Dad's voice floated to me from behind my bedroom door. He cracked it open just enough to see that I was both clothed decently enough and not busy. "What's wrong, son?"

"I don't know, Dad," I replied in a frustrated breath.

"Well something must be wrong if you're not harassing the Evans about stealing Serena away all day. She's been gone, what, a year? I'm surprised you're not with her right now."

"I think that's the problem, Dad," I admitted. I never could hide things from my father; he was too intuitive for his own good and could always see through my bullshit. He gave me a glance.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, she left without saying anything to me; not even goodbye. Then I didn't hear from her the entire time she was gone. And now I get the feeling that she may not feel the same way I do. Dad, I like her—a lot. I want something more than friendship, but somehow I don't think she would want that. What do I do?" I became desperate for Dad to give me the answers.

He smirked and sat on the foot of my bed, a glazed look coming over his eyes. His smirk became a fond smile as he stared at his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. I sat up and waited patiently for him to give me all the answers I needed.

"If you like her, you have to do what you feel is right. You'll never know how she feels about you if you don't ask." He finally looked up at me with a knowing look and a sincere smile. What was he thinking? "You have to understand how deep your feelings for her really go and if you're willing to risk everything for this one girl. If you are, then I don't see why you're still sitting there." He patted my knee and stood up to leave. Before he walked out of my bedroom door, he turned back to me again. "She's special to you, I can tell by the look in your eyes. It's the way I look at your mother," he said. He closed my door with a soft click, while I sat on my bed contemplating what he told me.

Was it really so simple? Could I really just put my heart in her hands and hope she doesn't crush it? Who was I kidding? She already had my heart. She stole it from me that rainy day she cried on the swing—I was just too young and stupid to realize it then. This past year away from her really made me realize how much I cared about her. I knew I liked her, but could I really call it love? I shook my head; love was more complicated than this, wasn't it? Everyone always said that it was some crazy thing that took years to build, that it wasn't easy and instant. But then what about my parents? Dad said he fell in love with Mom so quick it was like he was hit by a truck. He said that the way they fell in love was like two people falling from a tree, that gravity just took hold on them and they never let go.

So which was it? Slow and rough? Or was it fast, easy and a roller coaster ride? I ran my hand through my hair and got dressed for my day. I decided while I was eating breakfast that I would call Andrew and have him meet me at the arcade; I could use the distraction he'd bring, especially if he was in a talkative mood.

I closed the front door behind me and chose to walk to the arcade; it wasn't far from my house, but the walk would help to clear my head and maybe put my thoughts into some sort of order. I opened my little black flip phone, found Andrew's contact information, and hit the call button.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" he answered, sounding vaguely breathless.

"Nothing. You should meet me at the Crown, I'm heading there now," I said.

"Aw man! You pick _now_ of all times to go?" he whined. What was that I heard in the background? Giggling?

"What's got you so wrapped up that you can't meet me?" I asked, and then it hit me. "Oh, no; you're not…?" I let my question hang off, hoping he wouldn't confirm what I was thinking.

"Yep, gotta go!"

I stared at my phone in disbelief. That ass hat hung up on me! What the hell? I flipped my phone closed and continued my walk. If he was too busy to meet up, that didn't mean I couldn't grab a coffee and play a few games without him.

I walked quietly, with my hands in my pockets and watching my feet hit the pavement with each step. My thoughts drifted to what Dad had said that morning—that I had to just man up and find out how Serena felt about me. What was it that was holding me back? She was the one who kissed me first that day in the treehouse. It felt like so long ago, but I could swear that I still felt her lips brush mine, that I could still taste that kiss. I unconsciously licked my lips and bit my lower one. What the hell was I going to do _now_? Things weren't as simple as they were back then. That was almost two years ago! She could have easily moved on!

"Ahh!" someone screeched.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings; I simply let my feet lead the way from muscle memory. I suddenly found myself in a tangled heap of limbs on the corner of the main street and the one I was currently on.

Apparently someone was running and was also not paying attention to where they were going and we collided on the corner.

"Ow," the woman groaned in pain. I scrambled to my feet and offered my hand to help her up.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention," I said.

She took my hand and I was shocked to see that the person I collided with head first was Serena. "That's okay, I wasn't watching either." She pulled the other headphone out of her ear and finally made eye contact with me. "Darien!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing out here? I mean, you have every right, just like everyone else in this town, but—,"

"Sere, you're rambling," I interrupted. A faint pink blush spread across her cheeks and she averted her gaze. I smiled and chuckled to myself. "I was on my way to the arcade; do you want to come with me?"

Her eyes shot back up to mine and she grinned sheepishly. "Sure," she replied.

"Why do you look so embarrassed?" I teased, nudging her arm with my elbow. She stared at her feet as we walked side by side to the arcade.

"Um…well…you see…" she seemed to be having issues forming coherent words, and her blush deepened to a bright crimson. I smirked.

"Were you always this articulate?"

"Yes," she gave me a sidelong glance, "aren't you impressed?"

"I've always been impressed with your apparent way with words," I laughed.

"Don't be an ass, Darien," she said and playfully shoved me. We burst into a fit of laughter and continued our journey. We caught our breath and walked in silence until we came to the doors of the arcade. The sounds of the doors sliding and the bell chiming alerted the game players to our arrival. "There's a booth over here." She pointed to her left at a corner booth semi-secluded from the noise of the laughing kids and arcade games.

"Have you ever been here before?" I asked her as she skimmed over the large laminated sheet that served as the menu.

"No, but I figure it's just like any diner; burgers, fries, shakes, that sort of thing. My cousin Molly mentioned that the shakes here are to die for, though," she grinned.

"Let me guess, chocolate?" I questioned, raising a knowing brow. Something felt right about being here like this with her. I smiled as her eyes subtly lit up at the mention of her favorite flavor. She was still the same Serena that I always knew. She had just grown up.

"Do you know me at all, Shields?" She feigned hurt and dramatically clutched at her chest over her heart. "You wound me with such talk!" She broke into a megawatt grin and placed the menu back on the table. "What are you getting?"

"Strawberry shake and a burger. You hungry?"

"Am I ever!" she exclaimed.

"Pick whatever you want, my treat." I winked and she blushed.

"Oh, no, you don't have—,"

"Serena, I know I don't have to. I want to."

"Why?" she asked incredulously.

"Why what?" I replied, unsure of why she was suddenly embarrassed.

"Why are you doing this?" She blushed even deeper and looked away from me.

I reached across the table and lifted her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. Her eyes were filled with uncertainty and something else I couldn't identify. She was beautiful—that shy expression in her eyes, her hair a mess from her run and our tumble to the ground, her face flushed—she had me searching the depths of my soul for the right words. I said I silent prayer that I wouldn't mess this up.

"Why wouldn't I do this for you?" I didn't want to come on too strong. I had to be careful; I kept reminding myself that things could have changed while she was away.

"I don't know, Darien. It's just—,"

"Tell me about Japan," I offered, interrupting her again and trying to lighten the mood. I'd have to take things slow if I wanted to win her heart.

And win I would.

Serena glanced down at the table and began her tale. "It was a last minute thing; Dad was offered a spot to help with whatever he does," she said, waving her hand dismissively. Her father was a government employee that did secret things all over the world.

"How were you able to go?" I wondered.

"He asked if I wanted to; he warned me that it would be difficult but worth it to experience life in a new place, even if it was for just a year. So I went. I wanted to tell you, but I literally had to pack and be ready to leave the morning after he asked." She paused and looked at me apologetically. "Mom said you were upset; I never wanted to hurt you. I just had no way of telling you. It was hectic in the twelve hours before I left and once we got there I had no means of contacting you." Serena looked at her hands folded in her lap. "I'm sorry."

"Hello, my name is Jessie; can I take your orders?" Serena perked her head up at the greeting from our waitress.

"Yes, please. I'll have a plain bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake," Serena told the waitress.

"Okay, and for you, sir?" Jessie asked.

"I'll have the same but with a strawberry shake," I replied.

"Alright, it'll be out shortly." Jessie said.

"Thanks," Serena said, smiling politely at Jessie, who smiled back and went to put in our orders.

Serena's gaze locked with my own as her smile slowly faded.

"I'm not upset, Sere. I promise. Now tell me everything about Japan! I have to live vicariously through you, after all," I chuckled and poked her arm. She effectively swatted my hand away and grinned.

"It was amazing and beautiful. I wish you could've seen it!" Her eyes immediately lit up. "Tokyo was massive and there were people everywhere; I mean, I thought going to Atlanta was rough, boy was I wrong! The language barrier was rough at first, but Dad bought me a dictionary with translations and all that so I managed okay, I think. I ended up going to one of the only schools that spoke fluent English, which was nice; but I had to wear this horrific uniform."

"How was it 'horrific'? I thought that Japanese schoolgirls wore those cute ones like from anime?" I questioned.

"Darien, it was atrocious. I mean, I thought the same thing at first, but when I actually put it on, it hid my figure. I looked like a prepubescent boy! I had no boobs and my ass was flatter than a pancake!" Serena gestured to her chest, causing me to steal a glance, which I hoped she didn't notice. "And the colors! Ugh, orange is so not my color." I couldn't hold in my laughter anymore.

"Please tell me you have pictures," I said between chuckles. That statement caused Serena to glare at me, but she never could keep a straight face. She too burst into a fit of laughter.

"Of course there are pictures! Mom was insistent on them and you know how Dad can never turn her down for anything. Anyway, the school was interesting—very fast paced. They'd give Amy a run for her money in academics, that's for sure. Other than that it was like any normal school. I made some friends, there was a lot of drama, but I handled it. It sucked being away from home, though."

"How?"

"I missed everyone here, Dare. I was in this big new place with no one but Dad, who was busy all the time. I often wondered why he even brought me along if he was going to be working so much. But I stuck it out and the year went by pretty fast—especially once I had friends and schoolwork to keep me busy."

"It sounds like you had fun, Sere," I said. I could feel that monster of jealousy rise in my gut, but I pushed it down; there was no reason to feel that way.

"I did. Now you tell me about your year. What happened while I was away? I see you've grown…a lot." She conspicuously roamed her eyes over my body, not seeming to care that she was being conspicuous.

"Well, I played football again, worked out a lot with Andrew, joined the baseball team; there's really not much to say. It sucked not having you here, but I had to move on. I missed you every day; I wanted to beg your mother for contact information, but I was too afraid," I stupidly admitted.

"Why were you afraid, Dare?" she asked softly.

"Because I was scared that you had moved on…that you didn't feel the same way that I do about you. That if you left so suddenly like that, it must mean you didn't care." Why couldn't I just shut the hell up? Please, God, let the ground open and swallow me whole. The hurt in Serena's eyes was my undoing; I moved over to her side of the booth, trapping her on the inside seat while I wrapped my arms around her.

"Darien, I'm so sorry. Dad wouldn't let me call; he said we didn't have the international thing for our phones. The only reason we got to talk to Mom was because he called her from work. Most times I didn't even get to talk to her—once a week at most. I wanted to call, I did." Her voice cracked and I knew I had hit a nerve.

"Shh, don't cry. It was a silly misunderstanding, Serena."

"I've always cared," she whispered. Had I not been so close, I might not have heard her say it.

"I know, baby. I know," I soothed. She felt just as bad as I did and I couldn't think of how to fix it.

Just then, Jessie came back to our table with our food and shakes. She placed the items before us and asked, "Can I get you anything else?"

Serena blushed. "Can I have some ranch please?"

"Sure thing, doll," Jessie said, walking away to fetch ranch for Serena.

"Ranch?" I asked, returning to my seat across from Serena.

She blushed again. "I like to dip my fries in it; don't judge me," she said and smirked. "You should try it, it's delicious."

"Here you are, sweetie," Jessie said, placing a small cup of white dressing in front of Serena.

"Thanks!" Serena smiled brightly.

"Anything else?"

"No, ma'am, thank you," Serena replied.

We ate our food in comfortable silence, although the air was still pretty tense from our previous conversation. Serena had said that she cared—that she _always_ cared. That was a good sign; it meant that I might have a chance.

"How do you like your burger?" I asked.

"It's amazing; best burger I've had!" she gushed. "This shake is fantastic, too. I'll have to remember to thank Molly next time I see her." She took a sip of her shake and continued eating. "Here, try a fry in ranch," she offered, handing me a fry dipped in white sauce. I took the proffered fry and ate it.

"Hmm, not bad; I think I prefer ketchup, though."

"You are so weird, Darien," she giggled. "I love this stuff; I could put it on almost anything."

"I think that makes you the weird one," I joked.

"Yeah, maybe so, but you're the one attracted to me." She grinned and winked at me; I could have sworn my heart had stopped right then. She was flirting! I decided to play along.

"You mean you're not attracted to me?" I asked, feigning hurt. I pouted my lips and gave her a puppy dog stare.

She smiled brightly and said, "Who wouldn't be attracted to a sexy hunk of man like you? I bet you've had tons of girlfriends." She cocked an eyebrow and patiently awaited my answer.

I grinned. "Baby, I only have eyes for you."

"I'm sure you tell all the girls that line. You'll have to do better than that if you want to impress me," she stated.

"Give me the chance; go out with me this weekend," I said.

"Like on a date?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, on a date." I held my breath.

"Okay," she replied, shrugging as if she just answered the easiest question she'd ever been asked.

"Great! I have the perfect thing in mind." We finished our food, chatting back and forth about menial things before I paid for our meals and we left. I walked Serena home and returned to my house in the best mood I'd been in in a long time.

0000

"Hey, Pop, how are you feeling today?" I asked my father as I sat in the chair beside his bed.

"Much better today," he replied. "What'd you and your mother do yesterday?"

"We went for a walk and had dinner at home. I was pretty tired from the flight, so we didn't do much." I caught Dad up on all the things he missed since I had last seen him. I told him all about my business and the charity work we accomplished. His eyes lit up with pride and love, which made my own eyes fill with tears.

"Darien, why the long face?" Dad asked.

"I hate seeing you like this, it's not fair."

"Oh, don't act like a petulant child, son; it's just a little cancer. It won't break me, and God can bring it on if He thinks this will be the end," Dad said taking hold of my hand and squeezing lightly. "I'm too much of a hardheaded Irishman to give so easily. Have a little faith, son. Once I'm out of this hellhole I'll prove to you just how strong I am," he joked, but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

It was hard to have faith when the God Dad talked about wasn't real; how could He be? I bit back my response and instead held Dad's hand as he ranted about bad hospital food and raved about his "pretty" nurses. I laughed where necessary, but my mind was far away; I longed for the days when Dad was healthy and home—when he was full of life and not this shell of a man who could barely hang on. I hid my sadness from him as best as I could, but he knew me better than anyone.

I spent the better part of two hours next to him, talking about anything and everything before one of his nurses ushered me out on the reason that Dad needed sleep. So I left and went in search of something to occupy my time while Mom was out and about.

What better way than visiting the Crown?


End file.
